The Last Mile in Ending Extreme Poverty

The past quarter century has witnessed a stunning reduction in the number of people around the world living on less than $1.25 a day, the marker for extreme poverty. This has led to a new sense of hope that extreme poverty can be eradicated within a generation. Yet optimism is tempered by the unique circumstances facing those who remain left behind and new challenges that weaken traditional paths to prosperity.

The Last Mile in Ending Extreme Poverty explores what it will take to finish the course. It identifies three critical challenges that define the last mile: securing peace, creating jobs, and strengthening resilience. These are issues that development experts have largely overlooked, on which cutting-edge knowledge is blunt and best-practice solutions feel decidedly underwhelming.

By uncovering evidence and approaches to address these issues—and while pointing out the knowledge gaps that remain—The Last Mile outlines an agenda to inform development research and poverty reduction strategies for governments, international organizations, donors, charities, and foundations around the world.

Contributors: Michael Carnahan (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia), Raj M. Desai (Georgetown University and Brookings), Shane Evans (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia), Akio Hosono (JICA), Bruce Jones (Brookings), Marcus Manuel (Overseas Development Institute), John McArthur (Brookings and UN Foundation), Alastair McKechnie (Overseas Development Institute and University of Otago), Gary Milante (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), Yoichi Mine (JICA and Doshisha University), Ryutaro Murotani (JICA), John Page (Brookings), Go Shimada (University of Shizuoka, JICA, Columbia University, and Waseda University), Stephen C. Smith (George Washington University and Brookings)